The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done,
in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
[For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.]
Amen.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Psalm 143

Psalm 143 has become important to me these past few months. Although, I still love Psalm 46, I have discovered that Psalm 143 speaks to me in a way that makes a great deal of common sense. It is a great Psalm to begin your day with and to end with, at night.

When you read Psalm 143 you can see several things about God's attributes and several things about King Davids attributes. (And yes, I believe King David actually wrote this Psalm)

First thing to note is, that God is described as faithful, righteous, a place of refuge, a worker of deeds, possessing a good spirit and has steadfast love.

In a slight contrast King David is looking for refuge, seeking God's ways, entreating God to hear his prayer, remembering God's wonderful works, declaring he is God's servant, bares his whole body and soul towards God in a humble act of seeking, puts his trust in God, asks for remembrance of God's steadfast love, searches for a level path that only God can provide and asks God to help, in dealing with his enemies. He also asks God to help him do His will.

David is clearly in a relationship with God. If you are ever wondering what it means to be in a healthy relationship with someone, well this Psalm can help you.

In healthy relationships whether they be friendships, marital, family, professional, socially and or meeting strangers you can learn form this Psalm. This Psalm teaches about trust, love, remembrance, care, safety, righteousness, faithfulness, humility and servant-hood.

Now I know I have not dealt with the historical context of the this Psalm and perhaps, I need to. Right off the bat however, it is clear that David is in some predicament and seeks out his loving God to help him. But we can also seek out God and should seek out God for all times whether good or bad. And we know from this Psalm that God will answer, David is after all remembering the days of old, when God was near him.

So for me and as an offering for you, I suggest you mediate on this Psalm in the morning and at night offering yourself as a servant to God, recalling how good God has been in the past, how His steadfast love has carried you through whatever circumstances.

Pamela

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